What is PCOS?
huangyan Sep 06, 2022
Polycystic ovary syndrome, or PCOS, is a condition in which the ovaries produce an abnormal amount of androgens, which are male hormones that normally exist in women in small amounts.
The word “polycystic” describes the numerous small fluid-filled cysts that form in the ovaries that may contribute to androgen production. The cysts are often perceived as bad, but they are just very small follicles containing eggs. The follicles stop developing in the early stages and the eggs can not
come out of them. Under normal circumstances, the follicles develop into larger cysts that then ovulate (pop open) and release the eggs out of the ovary. This is how eggs become available for fertilization.
PCOS is a common cause of infertility. Women who have PCOS don’t have enough hormones to trigger ovulation and mature follicles. Therefore, ovulation doesn’t work properly, and in turn, the ovaries develop many small cysts. These cysts can then produce more hormones called androgens, while
progesterone levels do not adequately increase. As a result, women with PCOS often have elevated levels of androgens. Thus, the hormone imbalance disrupts the menstrual cycle and without ovulation, conception is not possible.
Studies have found 2.2 and 26.7% of women during their childbearing years (ages 15 to 44) have PCOS. However, in one study, about 70% of women with PCOS had not been diagnosed.
The difficulty is that PCOS comes in different forms and severity. Some patients have very mild and settle forms of PCOS and some have very profound symptoms. They do not always go along with elevated androgens or insulin resistance, but those are commonly associated with PCOS.
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